Steadily declining ratings for “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town” have not put the shows’ ABC future in jeopardy. The network confirmed Thursday that both components of the Wednesday at 9PM comedy bloc have received full season orders.
The network also issued a full season order to “The Middle,” which, at 8:30PM, has been posting ratings notably below those of the 9PM heavy hitters.
Though drops for the shows allowed CBS’ “Criminal Minds” and FOX’s “Glee” to lead in the adults 18-49 demographic, the series, particularly the 9PM comedies, are performing well enough to justify futures on ABC. Since debuting, “Family” has averaged 10.5 million viewers and a 3.8 in adults 18-49. “Cougar Town” is trending with 9.5 million viewers and a 3.8 in the demo.
“The Middle,” while notably lower with an average of 7.8 million viewers and a 2.4 demo rating, has garnered the network’s confidence creatively. It also has built upon its “Hank” lead-in.
